semivowel
/ˈsɛmiˌvaʊəl/
noun
- A speech sound that is like a vowel but functions as a consonant, such as the sounds represented by 'y' in 'yes' or 'w' in 'wet'.
- In English, the letter 'y' at the beginning of 'yellow' is a semivowel.
- Linguistics students learn that 'w' and 'y' are the most common semivowels.
- A semivowel is also called a glide because the tongue glides to another sound.
Synonyms